Method of fabricating an envelope



J. H. LEMELSCN METHOD 0F FABRICATING AN ENVELOPE Sept. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 7. 1960 IGC g. 1

Fig.' 7

INVENTOR. Jerome H Lemelson Fig.6

Sept. 29, 1964 J. H. LEMELsoN METHOD oF FABRICATING AN ENvELoPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. '7, 1960 44C f ig. 8

.E ig. l0

A4 O o 4./ m lnlv m Mm 4/ L H e O m a m, f v w 4 3 2 l.. m 5 4 .7 4 d .U ll 5 o ..\5 4( a 4 F 5 United States Patent O 3,150 473 METHD F FABRICATING AN ENVELQPEE Jerome H. Lemelson, 85 Rector St., Metuchen, NJ. Filed Nov. '7, @60,51% No. 67,863 6 'Claims (Cl. 53--28) This invention relates to an improved method for fabricating an envelope for the mailing of advertising literature or the like and in particular to an improved means for producing an envelope for retaining one or more sheets of paper within a sheet or thin film bag which serves asa mailing envelope.

Advertising-literature, form letters, bulletins and the .like are currently mailed in paper envelopes of generally similar design. The majority of these envelopes are obl.long in-shape and are openable for the inspection of the -while serving theintended purpose of retaining the contents in the envelope during normal handling.

`Because of the tapered shape of theend flaps of the conventional paper envelope, there is a considerable waste of material in the fabricationof the envelope. For example, all thepaper existing between the four triangular folds which comprise the tuck-in liap and the remainder of the rear'wall. of the envelope is generally wasted when -the blank is die-cut to shape prior to folding. Accordingly, a primaryobject of this invention is to provide a new and improved method for producing an envelope having an opening for access to the contents thereof for postal inspection, which may be fabricated from sheetmaterial without -waste of any of said material.

The conventional paper mailing envelope also requires relatively complex machineryforits fabrication since the lblank must be die-cut to shape, folded in multiple directions, 'edge glued in fabricating the envelope. The inser- 4tion of one or `more folded sheets of advertising literature into the envelope is generally effected after the envelope is formed `and glued and requires additional complex machinery for handling and prepositioning the envelope and the insert material. Accordingly, another important obi ject ofy this invention is to provide a mailing envelopeof improved design which may be easily fabricated with conventional bag forming equipment whereby thek contents may be prepositioned therein prior to the completion of the operation so that further handling and insertion equipment is not necessary.

Another object-is to provide a method for producing an envelope which may be used for mailing purposes requiring inspection of its contents which may be fabricated and filled at a substantially higher rate than the conventional paper envelope.

Another object is to provide va method lfor producing an improved envelope suitable for fourth class mailing-and the like which is made of plastic film which weighs substantially .less than the conventional paper envelope resulting in a mailing piece of less weight.

With the above and-such other objects in view as may hereafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts. as will be more fully describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed.

FIG. l is a side view of a fiat envelope embodying features of the invention which may be used for bulk mailing or other purposes. FlG. 2 is an end view of the envelope of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an envelope having a slit in one wall thereof for removal of the contents without damage to the envelope and usable also for bulk mailing purposes. FIG. 4 is an end View of FlG. 3.

FG. 5 is a View of a fragment of an envelope showing another construction applicable to the other embodiments of this invention. FlG. 6 is a side View of another type of mailing envelope and FG. 7 is a partial isometric view of the envelope of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view of still another envelope designed applicable to bulk mailing. FIG. 9 is an end view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows a modified version of the envelope of FIG. 8 shown also in side View.

FIG. ll shows a strip-like array of envelopes made in accordance with the teachings of FiG. 8 as they appear in passing through an automatic packaging machine and illustrates the lines along which the fiat walls of said envelope material is cut in the formation of the envelopes.

FIG. l2 is a fragmentary veiw of a portion of a striplike array of envelopes fabricated in accordance with at least part of the teachings of FlG. 11 but modified with a pull tab for opening the envelope.

FIG. 13 is a side view of part of a strip-like array of envelopes which are modified in construction.

in FIG. 1, an envelope or bag closure lt made of two thin sheets l2 and la of heat scalable paper, foil or film of plastic, paper, metal or laminates thereof or of a folded single sheet, is used to hold one or more sheets of flat material C such as printed paper in booklet form, folded sheets or otherwise formed. The envelope l@ is preferably formed and filled, as described, by the continuous feeding of one or two thin sheets of material through a horizontal packaging machine such as the Campbell Wrapper manufactured by Food Machinery Corp.

In the emodiment illustrated in FGS. l and 2, closure of the envelope or bag it? is effected by means of a heat sealing or glue line lr6 which may be effected on the fly as the material comprising the envelope passes through the machine, in which it is formed, as a continuous strip or strips, and after the contents 18 have been placed between the two sheets. ln FIG. l the sealing 'line 'le extends along the right-hand end or border as 15a,

along the longitudinal borders as 16d and 16e and for short lengths of the left border, which sealing portions are referred to as lod and loe. The border portion 13 between these discontinued sections of seal lines is therefore open permitting the inserted contents to be removed by simple manipulation of the envelope. The contents however, will normally be prevented from removal from the envelope or bag so formed by the short sealing lines 16d and 16e, provided that the width of the contents is greater than the length of the opening 13.

The material of which the envelope itl is formed may be opaque, translucent or transparent. rllhe patch area inside the dashed lines 1S contains the address, and/or other pertinent information which may be applied thereto as a label or printed directly on the wall l2 as or prior to the formation of the envelope. lf the material cornprising wall 12 is transparent, the address or other Wording inside the area bordered by lines l5 may be printed directly thereon and easily read if the printing on the contents C of the envelope is not aligned therewith or if an opaque printing material is first applied to the surface of the envelope and the printing effected thereon. The notation 14 may also refer to a label which is adhesively bonded or heat sealed to the wall 12. if the remainder of the envelope wall is opaque, le' may refer to a transparent portion thereof through which the address and other information provided on the adjacent portion of the insert or contents C may be seen.

It is noted that the contents C extend almost to the borders of the envelope and preferably to within 1/16" of the longitudinal sealing lines and/ or fold. If the 'material of which the envelope is made is plastic film in the order of .001 thick in order to provide the most inexpensive structure, it will not be self supporting but the contents C may serve to retain the envelope in the desired semi-rigid or self supporting condition. If it is desired to remove the contents C from the envelope, the corners of the contents may be manipulated under the end sealing portions 16d and 16e by bending the envelope and its contents md manipulating the contents therethrough without severing the seal. The action may be accomplished without difficulty if 16d and ie only extend 1/1(; to 1A" inward of the lateral extremities of the contents C.

In a further embodiment illustrated in FIG. l a spot weld llZW is provided between the side walls of the envelope at the open end thereof. This weld retains the contents C within the envelope during transport yet may be easily severed to permit removal of the contents. With the weld 12W, the lateral welds 16d and 16e may be eliminated. The notation 12T refers to a tab portion extending from the ends of either or both walls of the pouch I@ which are adjacent and beyond the weld 12W. The tabs may be used to sever the spot weld I2W by pulling said tab portions away from each other to lift the walls of the envelope apart.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of this invention which comprises a dat walled rectangular envelope Zt) made of thin sheet material such as plastic film, paper, metal foil or laminate of two or more of these. The outlined rectangle C refers to the contents of the envelope, which the contents C of the embodiment of FIGS. l and 2, substantially fill out the in ernal volume of the envelope and have a length and width which extend to about 1/s to 1A inch of the similar internal dimensions of the envelope. The contents C may comprise a single sheet of stiff paper or one or more sheets of paper provided dat or folded a number of times.

The envelope 2@ consists of sheet side walls 22 and 24 which are strip bonded or heat sealed near their borders to form a circumscribing closure for the contents C. In order to permit access to the contents of the envelope without tearing or partially destroying the material of the envelope, a slit 26 is provided near one ond of the envelope, which if the material of the envelope and/or the contents C normally retain the combination in a flat condition, will remain tlat with the edges of the material adjacent the slit in abutment. The sheet contents C is shown extending from the inside edge 25 of the end seal 2S at the far end of the envelope, a degree just beyond the slit 2,6 but not quite to the edge of the other end-seal idf. The slit 26 preferably extends the width of the contents C or greater so that the latter may be passed therethrough when the envelope is laterally deiiected. The contents C preferably extend to within about 1/16 to 1/tt inch of the lateral inside extremities of the envelope, hence the slit 26 may extend almost to said extremities.

The longitudinal edges 2l@ and .'-lb of the envelope 2d may be formed when a tubular sheet of material comprising the walls of said envelope is folded flat. The envelope may also be formed by feeding a single sheet of material through the envelope forming and filling machine, which sheet is folded down the middle as it is fed, and heat sealing or strip bonding the open longitudinal border thereof after insertion of the contents. Either or both of the two longitudinal borders of the envelope may thus be heat sealed or adhered together.

FIG. 5 shows a modification in the structure of an envelope which may be fabricated in accordance with the teachings of FIGS. l and 2 or FIGS. 3 and 4. At

least one wall of the envelope is fabricated of two materials, a central strip 27 of opaque plastic, paper, plastic-paper mixture or plastic paper laminate the longitudinal borders 27a and 27h of which are cemented or heat sealed to two strips 28a and 23h of plastic. The central portion 27 serves to reinforce the envelope, as an opaque shield for the contents and as a base on which the address and other information may be easily printed. The other end of the envelope illustrated in FIG. 5 may be fabricated in accordance with the teachings of FIGS. l to 4 or as taught hereafter for easy removal of its contents.

In a preferred form of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5, the central portion 27 of the wall or walls of the envelope is made of paper and the edge portions and/or the other wall of the envelope is made of plastic film, such as polyethylene film, which may be .()Ol inch or less in thickness. The paper strip 27 as well as the contents of the envelope olfer considerable support and retain the shape of the envelope. The strip 27 may be addressed by means of a typewriter or other impression means without difficulty and without the use of inks which would require time to dry. The longitudinal and lateral borders of the strip Z7 may be heat sealed or welded to the borders of strips 28a and 28h as well as the opposite wall of the envelope if the other face or inside surface of is coated with a heat scalable plastic such as polyethylene.

FGS. 6 and 7 illustrate yet another design for an envelope in the realm of this invention which may be easily opened for postal inspection or removal of the contents thereof, yet which may be fabricated just after insertion of the contents by the means described.

The envelope 3Q is made of a single sheet 3l of material which has been folded along a line which extends longitudinally along the sheet but off-center which folding leaves a flap 32 of the wall 32 which does not abut the other wall 33 of the envelope but extends beyond. Closure of the envelope may be effected by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive strip 34 extending along the border areas as sealing strips 34a, and 34C at the ends of the envelope and a strip 34b extending along the longitudinal border 53' of 33 beyond which the ap 32 of 32 extends. For inspecting or removing the contents of the envelope, the flap 32' may be grasped between the thumb and forenger of one hand and the thumb of the other hand used to li t 33 away from 32 preferably at one of the corners such as 33". To facilitate the peeling action wherein the contents of the envelope are exposed, the adhesive strip Slt-b preferably extends as a band a distance inward of the edge 33 leaving a non-adhered border strip 3S so that the two walls may be easier peeled apart. It is noted that, in addition to pressure sensitive adhesive sealing of the borders of the envelope 3%, permanent heat sealing may be effected across certain portions thereof such as along the end border 34e to effect that part of the closure which does not need to be opened. It is also noted that temporary opening may be effected only across one of the end borders. The longitudinal borders and the other end-border may be heat or electronically sealed, save at area beneath the corner 34 for parting said seal by lifting 34 away from 32.

The envelope illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be made by the continuous strip feeding technique described. The envelope consists of an elongated closure 40 having side walls 41 and 42 made of a single longitudinally folded sheet or two sheets of material which are border folded and fed continuously through packaging apparatus such as the Campbell Wrapper made by the Food Machinery Company which feeds the flat mailing pieces between the folds or sheets, seals and cuts the individual pouches or envelopes as hereinafter described. The packaging machinery effects a border seal 44 around the longitudinal borders and one end of the pouch which seal portions are referred to by the notations 44a, Mb and 44e. The other '5 end of the envelope is open and is closable by means of a triangular extension 45 of one of the side walls 42 of the pouch. The iap 45 may be automatically inserted into the open end of the envelope to the position illustrated by the broken line 45 by the packaging machinery and wedged between the other wall 4l of the envelope and the stiffer contents. The notation 41 refers to a slit in the wall 4l into which the iiap portion 45 may extend permitting it to be removed more easily, although said flap may be simply inserted in the open end of the envelope around the Vend of the contents C. In FIG. 10, the flap 45 is 'modified in shape permitting it to pass through the slit 41 which does `not extendl completely across the wall 41 but terminates inward ofthe 'borders at the sides of the envelopes.

FIG. ll illustrates a longitudinal array of the envelopes or pouches of FIGS. 8 and 9 prior to cutting into individual units. The individual sections are referred to hy the Vgeneral notations 49-1, itl-2, 4th-3, etc. The 46- notations refer to diagonal cuts made through the flattened tubular member 40T which, together with the lateral cuts 48- sever each pouch with its contents into individual envelopes. If the slit 41 is employed in one wall of the envelope, each resulting triangular portion 45T which consistsof portions or extensions of each of the two walls of kthe envelope may be folded and tucked under 4l.

However, it may be desired to remove one of the portions of the double walled flap 45T leaving a single flap as in FIGS. 8 and 9 which may be tucked into the open end of the envelope. This maybe effected by the steps of slitting the lengths 47 and 47 ofthe borders adjacent the diagonal cut 46 before said cut is made and severing one of the 'portions of each flap section 445T prior to or after said diagonal cutting. It is noted that the lateral cutting of the envelopes between the portions of the tubular member 40T where the diagonal cuttings are made, is effected across a wide, 'hand-like seal or between two lateral sealing lines such as 44C and 44C so that the ends of each envelope remain closed.

As a further embodiment, it is noted that the flap 45 may be folded against the outside face of the opposite wall` 4l of the envelope and heat sealed thereto along one or two` limited areas or spots in such a manner that said flap may be lifted by hand from the outer surface of 4T. without destroying or badly damaging said wall to remove the contents of the envelope. The notation 49 refers to a spot weld between 45 and '41 inward of the apex of the Vtriangular portion so that the end of 45 may be grasped between the thumb and forener to lift 45 away from 4I and sever the bond. After inspecting or removing part of the contents from the envelope the triangular tab 45 may be inserted under 41 to close the envelope again.

If the envelope illustrated in FIG. l is fabricated and filled in a strip array as taught in FIG. ll the length of each flap 451 may be the distance between each pair of envelopes. In other words each flap will be made of the lentire length of material of one wall of the section 47 and will be severed at'its free end from the end of the next envelope while the other portion of the section will contain the flap of said next envelope and will be cut off at the other end of 47. With such a fabrication technique, each envelope is provided with a flap extension of but one of its walls without wasting material other than that'which is trimmed from the border Vareas of the sections 47 between pouch sections to permit the insertion of the resulting flaps formed therefrom into the open ends of their envelopes or through the lateral slit 4l in the wall.

FIG. 12 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention which is a modification of that illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. A strip or tandem array of pouches or venvelopes Slt-v serted with respective fiat contents C which occupy substantially the entire interior of each enclosure. `50 is shown prior to cutting offv each envelope is shown after each has been filled or in- The strip which are referred to bythe notations Sti-1, Sil-2, SQLS, etc. The

bands. The resulting tandemly sealed pouches are cut along lines 56 at each lateral band preferably after the following operations are effected on at least one wall of the envelope. These operations may be effected prior to or during the formation of the individual pouches and preferably, although not necessarily, before the contents C are inserted between the folded portions of the sheet comprising the walls of the envelopes. A first cut 53 is made in one wall of the tubular member 5@ or envelope which cut extends obliquely from near the upper left hand corner :of the envelope to near 'the lower border F. A second lineal cut or slit 53 extends from a point adjacent the end of slit 53, parallel to the edge F to or near the sealing band 55. The notation 51 refers to material of the side wall 5l of the envelope which separates the ends of slits 53 and 53'. The distance between '53 and 53 is such that when the triangular flap defined by 53 and 53 is lifted by the insertion of the linger or a letter opener under either S3 or S3 the material at 5l will easily 'tear providing a triangular ap Sl" which may be easily lifted away from the surface of 51 and folded back to expose the end of the contents C which may be easily removed from the envelope through the opening so formed without destroying or tearing saidenvelope.

If it is desired to reinsert the contents into the envelope and retain the ilap 51 in alignment with the wall 51, a strip 57 of pressure sensitive coated material may be provided across the diagonal cut 53. The strip 57 is preferably adhered to the envelopes across said diagonal cuts during the formation of the envelope or prior thereto after the cut 53 is made so that the contents may be inserted without difficulty and so that it will be available for closing the envelopes after they are opened, if necessary. It is noted also that the strip -57 may be provided across the slit 26 across the envelope of FIG. 3 to further prevent the removal of the contents and facilitate forming the envelope. The triangulartlap 5l. formed Vfrom the material of the side wall 5l, may also have any suitable shape and the strip 57 may extend across any portion of cut 53 or 53 including the area 51. If so disposed, the lines 53 and 53 may join near the border F or near the center of the wall 51 and the strip S7 may be used primarily to retain the flap 51" in alignment with the wall 51 and to secure it therewith for reclosure of the envelope.

In FIG. 13 is shown an envelope which is formed and inserted with flat contents C in accordance with the teachings above and which has an Vend flap Sla formed at one end of one of the side walls which is of triangular shape with the apex near the center of the envelope wall. As in FIG. l2, a strip of tape or pressure sensitive adhesive coated plastic or paper extends across the area where the slits 53a and SSI?, which define the flap, meet. Lifting the strip 57 off the wall portion 51 will cause it to lift the retained flap Sla away from the body of the envelope so 'that the contents will be exposed at the flap end and may be removed therefrom. In order to facilitate lifting 57 oif Sl the free end portion 57 thereof preferably does not contain pressure sensitive adhesive and is not adhered to 5l. The notation 58 refers to a spot weld which fuses the other end of a strip 57 to the ap to prevent its removal therefrom. The pressure sensitive adhesive may be replaced by a spot weld between 57 and the wall 5l just beyond the flap which may be easily separated by lifting 57 away froml without damage to 51, while the weld 58 is preferably not so easily severed. In still another method of opening the envelope of FIG. 3, the lines 53a and 53h may refer to score lines or perforated lines in the wall 51 which will tear or sever when the tab 5'7 is lifted by graspinY the free end 57 and pulling it away from the wall 51. In such an embodiment, a more acutely apexed flap portion 51a of the wall will sever more easily when the 'tab is pulled away from the envelope. If the tab 5'7 is adapted to adhere by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive to 51, the envelope may again be closed after opening such as during postal inspection.

It is noted that the embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13 like those of FIGS. 1 to 7 offer an envelope, acceptable for mailing purposes, which may be fabricated from sheet material and filled in a single operation without waste of any material and at a rate which is currently at least double that of conventional envelope inserting and closing machines. In addition to performing the operations of forming and filling such envelopes, simple modifications to machinery as described may be made to effect the described slitting and tab securing as well as imprinting, addressing, counting and stacking without the need for complex handling and positioning devices since the envelopes are arranged in an elongated web shape until they are eventually separated from each other.

Certain modifications to the structure illustrated in FIG. 13 are noted. For example, the slit line S3 may be provided as a score line or perforation line in the wall 51 of such a characteristic that when the tab 57 is lifted off 51 and is retained against flap portion 51a thereof by means of 'the Weld or permanent bond 5S it will cause the angular score line 53 to tear in the two lateral directions starting at the apex thereof and Working outward towards both sides of the envelope simultaneously. To facilitate such an action, the apex of score line 53 over which tab 57 extends is preferably die-cut through and through for lateral distances of 1/s" or more along each leg of said score lines. Such an opening means employing an apexed score or perforation line and a pull tab provided as a separate member or extension of the flap of the package, may be applicable to containers made of suitable sheet material such as paper, cardboard, aluminum, foil or laminates thereof for the the opening of the package by means of a simple pulling action.

Also illustrated in FIG. 13 is a further means for effecting an opening in an envelope or any container made of a thin, tearable sheet material. A pair of parallel score lines dita and 60h are provided in the wall 5l. of the envelope which define line arcas of reduced cross-section or perforations in the material. The termination of these lines at one of the wall 51 is defined by a lateral score line 69e and is covered by a pull tab 57 which is adhesively bonded or welded to the area between said tear lines. The end 57 of pull strip 57 is preferably not bonded to the wall 5l so that it may be lifted off the surface of the wall and may be used to effect respective tears along 69a and dtib. lf the material of which the envelope 56' is made comprises a flexible plastic such as polyethylene .O04 inch thick or less and the tab is a pressure sensitive tape or is heat sealed to the area at the end of the strip, then the lines 60a, 60h and tic may be mere reductions in cross section of said material and a tear will easily develop when 57 is pulled away from 51 and retains the end of said strip which it is secured to. However, if 51 is made of heavier gage material, the score line 60e and/ or short extensions of the lines 60a and flb therefrom may be defined as through and through slits in the wall in which sealing may be maintained by the adhesive on the undersurface of 57 or by welding across said score lines to circumscribe the openings defined by said slits.

I claim:

l. The method of packaging merchandise comprising forming a continuous tube having first and second superimposed walls joined along both longitudinal edges thereof with a series of items of merchandise positioned within said continuous tube between said walls thereof at spaced intervals along the length of the tube, segmenting the tube into a plurality of envelopes on traverse lines between said items by seaming said segments along one end of each envelope, the position of each item of merchandise being such that a free length of the walls of said tube extends from one envelope to the traverse seam of the next envelope to define a closure fiap, providing an opening traversely across a wall of the envelope, severing said closure ap from said tube and folding and inserting said closure fiap into said opening.

2. The method of packaging merchandise comprising forming a continuous tube having first and second superimposed walls joined along both longitudinal edges thereof with a series of items of merchandise positioned within said tube between the walls thereof at spaced intervals along the length of the tube, segmenting the tube with said items therein on traverse lines between said items by seaming along said lines to define a plurality of envelopes, the position of each item of merchandise being such that a free length of material of the walls of said tube extends between items of merchandise to provide material for a closure flap, providing an opening traversely across each envelope at the end containing said free length of material, cutting said free length of material in a manner to define a closure flap which is connected to at least one of said envelopes and folding and inserting said closure flap into said opening whereby the contents of the envelope may be removed by removal of the closure fiap from said opening but are normally retained in place.

3. The method of packaging merchandise comprising forming a continuous tube having first and second superimposed walls joined along both longitudinal edges thereof with a series of items of mecrchandise positioned within said continuous tube between said walls thereof at spaced intervals along the length of the tube, segmenting the tube on traverse lines into a plurality of envelopes each containing an item, the position of each item of merchandise being such that a free length of material of the walls of said tube extends between each two segments to provide material for a closure flap for each envelope, seaming those ends of each two envelopes which are not adjacent said closure flap material, cutting said free length of material between each two envelopes in a manner to define respective closure flaps connected to each envelope and to sever pairs of envelopes from each other, closing each envelope by folding its closure fiap over the end of the envelope and severing the material between the seamed ends of the envelopes of each pair to define separate envelopes.

4. The method of packaging merchandise comprising forming a continuous tube having first and second superimposed walls joined along both longitudinal edges thereof with a series of items of merchandise positioned within said continuous tube between the walls thereof at spaced intervals along the length of the tube, segmenting the tube into a plurality of envelopes with said items therein on traverse lines between said items in a manner to provide material for a ap for each envelope, seaming material between each envelope except across the material defining the Flaps, cutting the flap material to define a closure fiap and folding the closure ap over the end of the envelope and retaining said flap against a wall of the envelope in a manner to retain the contents within each envelope.

5. The method of packaging merchandise comprising forming a continuous tube made of heat sealable plastic film and having first and second superimposed walls joined along both longitudinal edges thereof with a series of items of merchandise positioned within said tube between said walls thereof at spaced intervals along the length of the tube, segmenting the tube into individual envelopes with said items therein on traverse lines between said items and traversely heat sealing said segments along one end of each envelope, the position of each item of merchandise being such that a free length of the walls of said tube extends from one envelope `to the traverse seal of the next envelope to define a closure lian, providing an opening traversely across each envelope, severing said closure flap from the next envelope and folding and inserting said ilap into said opening.

6. A method of packaging at material in individual reusable envelopes comprising the steps of forming an elongated fiat tubular member by uniting flat opposed Walls of thin sheet material after inserting articles in spaced apart relation between said walls, and laterally sealing the Walls together between inserted articles to dene respective envelopes while allowing suicient sheet material of said tubular member between each of said inserted articles from which to form a flap for each envelope, cutting said material between each inserted article to dene a flap, and inserting the flap into the open end of the envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davies July 14, 1908 Deutschmeister Sept. 12, 1916 Smith Apr. 1, 1941 Hakomaki et al Nov. 20, 1956 Gal-son Jan. 5, 1960 Volckening et al Jan'. 19, 1960 Abrams Mar. 22, 1960 Power Feb. 27, 1962 Stratton Mar. 20, 1962 Blonder July 10, 1962 

6. A METHOD OF PACKAGING FLAT MATERIAL IN INDIVIDUAL REUSABLE ENVELOPES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING AN ELONGATED FLAT TUBULAR MEMBER BY UNITING FLAT OPPOSED WALLS OF THIN SHEET MATERIAL AFTER INSERTING ARTICLES IN SPACED APART RELATION BETWEEN SAID WALLS, AND LATERALLY SEALING THE WALLS TOGETHER BETWEEN INSERTED ARTICLES TO DEFINE RESPECTIVE ENVELOPES WHILE ALLOWING SUFFICIENT SHEET MATERIAL OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BETWEEN EACH OF SAID INSERTED ARTICLES FROM WHICH TO FORM A FLAP FOR EACH ENVELOPE, CUTTING SAID MATERIAL BETWEEN EACH INSERTED ARTICLE TO DEFINE A FLAP, AND INSERTING THE FLAP INTO THE OPEN END OF THE ENVELOPE. 